Boosting competitiveness of Dong Nai’s pepper capital

Following administrative restructuring in Dong Nai, Song Ray commune has emerged as the province’s “pepper capital.” It was the first locality in Dong Nai to successfully develop a large-scale pepper field project that meets export standards for the European market. The commune is also among the province’s leading areas in transitioning to organic production, gradually forming a specialized zone for clean pepper cultivation aimed at export.

Even during periods when the pepper market faced significant challenges and prices dropped below production costs, farmers in Song Ray remained committed to the crop. The locality has a large number of experienced growers who have cultivated pepper for decades. Drawing on their long-standing experience, many farmers have introduced practical solutions in cultivation and harvesting. These innovations help reduce production costs and enhance the crop's competitiveness.

Experienced farmers

Song Ray has long been known for its extensive pepper cultivation area, the largest in Dong Nai province. Its soil conditions are particularly suitable for pepper plants, allowing the crop to thrive. Over time, the locality has also developed a community of highly skilled farmers with extensive experience in pepper production.

Farmer Le Minh Thien in Hamlet 13, Song Ray commune enjoys a bumper pepper harvest this year. Photo: Binh Nguyen

Le Minh Thien, a farmer in Hamlet 13, Song Ray commune, shared that this year’s harvest has been especially rewarding. His family’s 1.5-hectare pepper garden recorded a bumper yield, and many other farms in the locality have also reported strong output. “With the current selling price exceeding 150,000 VND per kilogram, pepper farmers are enjoying good incomes,” Thien said.

Having spent more than 30 years cultivating pepper, Thien has witnessed many market fluctuations but remains confident in the crop’s long-term potential. According to him, pepper remains a key agricultural product of the locality, partly because the soil conditions are highly suitable for the plant. “Unlike fresh fruit, pepper can be stored for years after harvest, so farmers do not have to sell at low prices when supply suddenly increases during peak harvest periods,” he explained. “Most importantly, this is a crop I have worked with for decades. With solid technical knowledge and experience in cultivation and care, I am confident in maintaining good harvests.”

Pham Xuan Hoan is another experienced pepper farmer in Song Ray. His family’s pepper garden consistently records yields among the highest in the locality. Hoan is also among the pioneers in shifting to organic production and has participated in the large-scale pepper project aimed at exporting to demanding markets.

According to Hoan, pepper is highly sensitive to weather conditions. In recent years, unpredictable climate patterns have significantly affected the growth, productivity, and quality of pepper plants. As a result, he began adopting organic farming methods many years ago.

“Organic production helps protect the soil from degradation. When the soil is healthy, the plants grow stronger, suffer fewer diseases, and produce higher yields,” Hoan said. “Once farmers master cultivation techniques and ensure stable productivity and quality, they can still maintain income even when pepper prices fall.”

In addition to their cultivation experience, many pepper farmers in Song Ray closely monitor market developments. After each harvest season, some farmers sell only part of their output to cover production costs, while storing the remainder and waiting for more favorable market prices to maximize profits.

Strengthening competitiveness for the key crop

Beyond cultivation techniques, farmers in Song Ray commune have also introduced creative solutions during the harvesting stage to reduce labor costs while ensuring higher-quality pepper.

This year, the 0.8-hectare pepper garden of farmer To Van Chuoc, also in Hamlet 13, produced around 2.7 tons of pepper, an increase of about 0.7 tons compared with last year’s harvest. The improved productivity is largely attributed to his innovative harvesting methods.

One of the biggest concerns for pepper growers is the shortage of labor during harvest season. Over the past three years, however, Chuoc has adopted a solution of spreading nets beneath the pepper vines to collect naturally falling pepper berries. Thanks to this method, even during peak harvest periods, his family no longer needs to hire outside workers. Instead, the three members of his household can handle the work themselves. Each morning, they simply sweep the nets and gather the pepper before bringing it home to dry. Even on busy days, the family does not need to visit the garden, as the pepper berries fall onto the nets and dry naturally without loss. The method not only reduces labor costs but also prevents pepper from falling onto the ground or being mixed with soil, which often occurs in traditional harvesting. It also saves time and effort during drying and cleaning.

Chuoc estimated that harvesting the same garden using traditional methods would normally cost between 60 and 70 million VND in labor expenses. By applying the net system, the savings in labor can be reinvested in the next crop. Moreover, pepper that ripens and falls naturally tends to have firmer seeds and higher quality, allowing farmers to sell it at better prices.

Sharing his perspective on increasing the value of pepper production, Truong Dinh Ba, a pioneer of organic pepper farming in Song Ray, said the locality has taken the lead in developing a large-scale organic pepper cultivation project. By participating in this production–consumption linkage chain, farmers receive multiple benefits, including support for installing automatic irrigation systems and partial assistance with farming materials. More importantly, they have access to training programs and advanced scientific and technical knowledge in agriculture. Pepper produced under clean, organic standards is also purchased at prices above the average market rate. Ba noted that the development of a community of skilled farmers has helped ensure both productivity and quality for the locality’s pepper-growing area. This foundation is expected to play an important role in building a strong pepper brand for the region in both domestic and international markets, while supporting sustainable agricultural development.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho